Karl Rove groups raised $6.1 million in 2013

The trio of conservative groups headed up by GOP consultant Karl Rove pulled in a combined $6.1 million in 2013, according to numbers obtained by POLITICO.

The super PAC American Crossroads took in about $1.6 million in the second half of 2013, while the nonprofit Crossroads GPS raised $1.1 million. The super PAC alone has $2.7 million cash on hand going into 2014.

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A third group — the super PAC Conservative Victory Project — did no independent fundraising, aside from a $10,000 transfer from American Crossroads.

It’s a major comedown from the 2012 presidential race, when American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS together raised a whopping $325 million and poured money into competitive Senate races and presidential battleground states.

Typically, donor interest is much lower in non-presidential cycles. The two Crossroads groups raised about $7o million in 2010 — though much of that poured in during the final months of the election.

Crossroads still maintains an extensive fundraising network and deep ties to the GOP’s donor base — and donor interest will likely pick up in 2014 as the midterm elections draw closer.

A Crossroads spokesman said the group still had the resources to compete in the crucial political battlegrounds across the country.

“This year’s Senate map presents great opportunities for Republicans, and this year’s candidate crop is emerging as the strongest in a decade. Our pledges are on track with previous cycles and we are increasingly enthusiastic about prospects for winning a majority in the Senate and holding the majority in the House,” said Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio.

Rove added a third group to the network in 2013, forming the Conservative Victory Project to counterbalance the influence of Tea Party and conservative grassroots forces in GOP primaries.

The project was premised on backing the most electable Republican in competitive Senate primaries — with Rove and other party elders convinced that the party had thrown away at least a half-dozen Senate seats Similar Democratic super PACs matched the Crossroads fundraising network easily.

All three groups — Crossroads GPS, American Crossroads and Conservative Victory Project — are permitted to accept unlimited corporate and individual contributions.